Durban – EThekwini Municipality says it will not stand back and watch its image being bashed by negative media reports.
The City revealed on Tuesday that it will push back against the narrative of it being incompetently run and not “doing any work” by engaging in media platforms to tell its own stories of success.
Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda told the councillors during the executive committee meeting on Tuesday that he will be taking talking on radio stations where he will be able to tell the success stories of the city.
“I will be taking part in the (KZN-based radio station iGagasi) breakfast show where I will be talking about the projects of the (city) and I will be taking part in another national radio station to tell the city’s success,” he said.
Kaunda implied that the opposition parties in the council as well as the media have been unfair in their portrayal of the City, creating an image that it was failing and going forward the City will not stand for this.
ANC councillors have in the past complained repeatedly about the negative image of the City being created in the media and blamed it on the opposition.
Earlier this year, ANC councillors mused about curtailing media freedom in the council amid a barrage of negative publicity.
At the time, ANC councillor Thembo Ntuli said he was concerned about the leaking of City reports.
“I have raised the issue of the media before, whether we should be sitting like this with the media in the meeting or whether we should be engaging them (after the meeting). We should look at what other departments are doing,” Ntuli said.
Ntuli noted that there were many municipalities in the province that were not subjected to the negative media reports that eThekwini was facing.
He took aim at councillors whom he said participated in the portrayal of the City in a negative light, adding that those who speak negatively about the City in the media should be charged.